Configuring CPU resources for virtual machines

Configuring CPU resources for virtual machines

On the CPU Resource Allocation page for Virtual Server, you can allocate physical CPU resources to virtual machines currently configured on Virtual Server. You can allocate resources for virtual machines whether or not they are currently running. When you allocate resources to a virtual machine that is not running, however, the allocated resources are not included in the calculations for Total Capacity Reserved or Available Capacity Remaining.

Important

Only the virtual machines for which you have permissions appear on this page, and only the resources allocated to them are included in the figures for Total Capacity Reserved and Available Capacity Remaining. This means that you can inadvertently over-allocate CPU resources to the virtual machines listed on this page and prevent other virtual machines from turning on. If you do not have permissions for all of the virtual machines configured on this instance of Virtual Server, we strongly recommend that you ask your Virtual Server administrator for assistance before allocating CPU resources.

The information and settings on this page are described in the following table.

Item

Description

Virtual Machine

All of the virtual machines currently added to Virtual Server for which you have access permissions. The virtual machines are displayed in two lists: currently running and not currently running. You can allocate CPU resources for each virtual machine, whether or not it is running.

Relative Weight

The relative weight given to the resource needs of this virtual machine compared to all other virtual machines. A virtual machine with a higher relative weight is dynamically allocated additional resources as needed from other virtual machines that have lower relative weights. By default, all virtual machines have a relative weight of 100, so that their resource requirements are equal, and none is given preference. You can assign each virtual machine a relative weight from 1 through 10,000. In most cases, this is the only setting that you will need to configure.

Reserved Capacity (% of one CPU)

The capacity of a single CPU that is reserved for this virtual machine. The percentage of CPU capacity that is available to it will never be less than this number.

Maximum Capacity (% of one CPU)

The highest percentage of the total resources of a single CPU that can be consumed by this virtual machine at any given time.

Reserved Capacity (% of system)

The percentage of total system CPU capacity that is reserved for this virtual machine.

Maximum Capacity (% of system)

The highest percentage of the total system CPU resources that can be consumed by this virtual machine at any given time.

CPU Usage

A graphical representation of the CPU usage by this virtual machine over the previous minute.

Total Capacity Reserved

The total CPU capacity of the physical computer that has been reserved for all currently running virtual machines. If the physical computer has multiple CPUs, this figure represents the percent that is reserved of all CPUs combined.

Available Capacity Remaining

The total CPU capacity of the physical computer that has not been reserved for currently running virtual machines. If the physical computer has multiple CPUs, this figure represents the available percentage of all CPUs combined.

Note

Although there is no processor affinity—meaning that individual CPUs are not assigned to individual virtual machines—the maximum that you can allocate to any given virtual machine is 100 percent of one CPU. If you want to allocate the equivalent of one entire CPU to a virtual machine, specify 100 percent as its reserved capacity.
Virtual Server provides its own resource manager for allocating system resources to virtual machines. You should not use any other resource manager, such as Windows System Resource Manager, with Virtual Server.